Headmaster's News
May 2009
May 2009
A Message from the Headmaster
Reading Through Example
To an ever-increasing degree, boys (even at the highest academic levels and at the best schools) read less than do girls.
As a recent article on the topic notes: “Who reads? Well, mostly women. Moms frequently read to their young sons at bedtime. Elementary school teachers and media specialists, who are primarily women, read to their classes….men don’t read – instead they do.”
The point that the author of this article goes on to make is that boys (and men) don’t read about things, rather, they do things.
“For instance, men don’t read about hunting, they hunt. They don’t devour novels about race-car driving; they go to drag races – and often take their sons. For many boys, reading becomes a chore that prevents them from pursuing manly things, like playing sports, fishing, rock climbing and later, chasing girls. Testosterone keeps guys running and gunning.”
Most importantly, the article notes: “… if they (boys) don’t see members of their own tribe reading, they won’t deem it important.”
Like many/most things in the learning process, it seems the setting of a positive example by a role model with whom a boy can relate is critical to establishing healthy habits for the future.
To that end, the article concludes with the following statement:
“Whatever you do, don’t expect teachers and librarians to turn your son into a reader. It’s not their fault he won’t read. By the time he meets them, he’s been primed for failure. Be proactive ... a male has to be involved in your plans. I was a single mother, and I read to my son until I was blue. He loved hearing me read to him. But around third or fourth grade, guess what happened? Uh-huh, he stopped reading for pleasure.”
As parents, if we were told that changing just one pattern in our home could substantially improve our son’s academic experience we would more than likely trip over ourselves to do it. Well, this instance seems to be one of those moments. If boys see their fathers read for pleasure, on weekends and on vacation, they more than likely will choose to read for pleasure themselves.
As added incentive, I should point out that, not coincidentally, reading for pleasure is regularly cited as the prime determinant of high SAT verbal scores, of quality writing and of clear thought. It is as simple as saying that the more we read as fathers, the more our sons are likely to read, and the better they will do in school, in college and (more than likely) in life.
As summer approaches, bear in mind that you certainly can’t say the same about video games.
The quotations above are drawn from an article by Gail Gile entitled “Wanted, Male Models: There’s a Good Reason Why Boys Don’t Read” School Library Journal, December 2008.
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